Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Just discovered these bad boys on Dezeen and I am in love. Featured as part of Dezeen's ongoing series of open-forums at their Dezeen Space, Brendan Magennis' Whackpack collection exudes both design-clarity and adorability. Engineered to be constructed with just a mallet and wooden wedges, the design comes off less as flatpack and more like a project out of old Popular Mechanics do-it-yourself handbook. Brendan's website is still in the works, so in the meantime visit Dezeen for more info.

Always on the hunt for the perfect bar-top accouterments, we were pleased to come upon this refreshing barware set by France's Aurelein Barbry. Designed for Norman Copenhagen, Barbry balances the texture of steel and cork to produce a firmly timeless feel. We especially admire the circular bottle opener for both its visual simplicity and its apparent, and surprising, ergonomic proportion.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Just a great design from Kyoto-based katsunobu tasho architecture + unvoice. Really inspiring use of the plot, deferring one corner of the home's potential footprint to a gravel courtyard and, in the process, creating a surprisingly intriguing roofline. Its modest materials and decidedly sterile interior adds to its sense of quiet, while its openness to the street adds a new, welcoming dimension. For more, visit k tasho. Via designboom.

We're sort of on a Remodelista kick lately. That being said, we were predictably excited to come across this project by the Czech firm Nachazel Architects. Built long ago with utility in mind, its reincarnation as a pared-down living space results in a definitive sense of calm - the perfect place to escape. Plus, painted brick? Can't beat it. For more, visit Nachazel Architects.

Spotted on Remodelista, we're all pretty impressed by this 2006 carriage house conversion in London. Its modest exterior is betrayed by interior stone tiles and ample natural light. It's always fun to see what can be done with the big open spaces you find in formerly non-residential buildings. For more visit, The Modern House Estate Agents.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

As an addendum to our earlier post on wooden surfboards, here is a Chilean architects Los Gogo's foray into wooden surfboard construction. A decidely more DIY approach than our previously mentioned craftsman, but it seems to do the trick. For more, visit Los Gogo. Via NOTCOT.

It just may be that I will never get sick of a matte black finish. Winner of 2011's Red Dot Award, Stelton's Pure Black knives are made from a single piece of steel, making them not only easy on the eyes, but easy to clean as well. $280 gets you the three knife set along with a white magnetic knife rail. Available at Home. Via Remodelista.